When Corinna received the exciting news that she was pregnant, she knew right then that her world was going to change. She experienced all the joys of an expectant mother, however, never imagined that her son Cameron would make his arrival seven weeks early and have complex care needs for the rest of his life.
From the moment he was born, Cameron showed the world that he was a fighter, spending the first seven weeks of his life in the intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Hospital, getting stronger every day.
Despite putting on weight and showing signs of progress, Corinna quickly noticed that Cameron wasn’t hitting any of his milestones. She had a sinking feeling that something bigger was happening. And she was right. Cameron was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
As Cameron entered his teenage years, the need for respite support grew. Corinna travels frequently for work and pleasure, and she wanted to ensure that Cameron was well taken care of while she was gone. Safehaven became their safety net.
Cameron loves everything about Safehaven – it’s a safe, supportive environment where he has made friends and feels at home. Taking Cameron to Safehaven for respite is never a problem; it’s when Cameron has to leave that he gets upset. He just loves Safehaven so much!
Your 18th birthday marks your official status as an adult, but for Cameron it
also meant that he had “aged out of the system” and had nowhere to go. These exceptional young adults and their families still require supports but have access to little resources. As Corinna puts it, “it’s very difficult to find respite supports for Cameron. The main option is a nursing home, which
is not the right place for him. And unless you can pay a lot of money for personal support workers, you are left hung out to dry.”
Safehaven is working diligently to ensure that young adults like Cameron can continue to build friendships, have a safe place to go and to live the exceptional lives that they so rightly deserve; that they can thrive in place right here, at Safehaven.
In the meantime, Cameron is focused on big plans for his future. He will be volunteering at Safehaven and after that, he plans to attend college – nothing is going to stop Cameron from living his exceptional life.
